Heroines of the faith: Olympia Morata and Marie Durand

As a young Christian, I was profoundly influenced by the biographies of various women and men of God. Remarkable saints of God like Hudson Taylor, Amy Carmichael, James Fraser and Helen Rosaveare were the ones who mentored and discipled me through their stories and writings. So I’m firmly convinced of the effectiveness of  the biographies of heroes and heroines of the faith.

I was recently sent two books by author, Simonetta Carr. Weight of a Flame: The Passion of Olympia Morata and Marie Durand are the inspiring stories of two women who suffered greatly for their faith.

Beautifully illustrated and well researched, Marie Durand aims at younger readers and tells the story of a nineteen year old who spent 38 years in prison for refusing to recant of the “crime” of having a brother who was a Protestant preacher. 

Weight of a Flame describes the life and love story of Olympia Morata, a renowned scholar whose world is turned upside down by the religious turmoil taking place in Europe in the 1550s. It is aimed at slightly older readers.

My take: It’s really good to have readable stories of heroines of the faith. Both of these books would be especially great for homeschoolers.